If That's What It Takes
by 27dayz
Summary: She'll always be right by his side, doing whatever it takes keep the promise she made the day they buried Sara Sidle.


_AN: My fic in case the worst should happen. WARNING: SPOILERS for Living Doll._

_Disclaimer: I don't own anything from CSI or Celine Dion. Song is called 'If that's what it takes'. _

If That's What It Takes__

_You're the bravest of hearts_

_You're the strongest of souls_

_You're my light in the dark;_

_You're the place I call home_

Gil Grissom's face was set as he stared straight ahead as his friend drove through the desert, following the squad of police cars. Catherine noticed that even though circumstances were dire, he emitted a quiet courage. He is quite brave, she noted, wondering if she could have held it together while her lover was kidnapped and pinned under a car. She sped up a little to keep up with Brass's Taurus, her own face fixed determinedly on the road. True, she and Sara had never been the best of friends, but Catherine knew just how important Sara was to Gil, even if Catherine disapproved of their office romance. She steeled herself for what she was about to see as the red upside down car came into view. She mirrored the strength that her friend showed.

_You can say it's alright, but _

_I know that you're breaking up inside_

_I see it in your eyes_

Before she had even stopped, Gil was out of the car, fighting through the policemen and CSIs. Catherine stopped the car, jumped out, and ran after him.

Then he stopped.

The firemen and paramedics trying to get to Sara had cut the red car apart. She was lying on the ground, motionless, as a paramedic felt for a pulse. Grissom watched them work on his lover, rooted by shock. He didn't even notice as Catherine came to his side or as the rest of their team assembled around them, watching the paramedic do his job.

"She's gone," the paramedic announced hollowly, shaking his head. He stood up and backed away from the body of the tall brunette. She was lying on her side, her arm limply reached out, as if she had been clawing at the dirt in front of her, as a lifeline.

"W-what?" Grissom asked in a voice that was between a whisper and a gasp.

"This isn't right," Greg cried, tears falling to the ground.

"It isn't," Warrick agreed, pulling his friend into a hug. Nick, unable to speak, joined them. The three men turned away, unable to stare at the lifeless body of their friend any longer.

"Gil, I'm so sorry," Catherine whispered, rubbing his arm. He didn't even notice.

"Gil," Brass called out to his friend, concerned about his well-being, "Are you alright?" he asked, even though his own grief was evident on his face.

"F-fine," Gil choked out, but Catherine could see that he wasn't. His eyes were filled with overwhelming grief and tears waiting to be shed. Gil Grissom never cried or lost control, but even so, he wrenched away from Brass and Catherine, ran to the SUV, and vomited beside it, tears flowing down his cheeks.

_Even you face the night afraid_

_And alone_

_That's why I'll be there_

He looked so alone as he crouched on all fours as he broke down. Sobs wracked his body as Catherine came up beside him and held him as he broke down, offering a comfort that he had extended to her the night Keppler died. He clung to her, sobbing on the shoulder that she had offered to him to lean on.

_When the storm rises up_

_When the shadows descend _

_Every beat of my heart_

_Every day without end_

_Every second I live_

_That's the promise I make_

_Baby, that's what I'll give,_

_If that's what it takes_

_If that's what it takes_

She walked him to the front pew, every so often glancing at his face. He looked like someone had just dug a knife deep into his heart. She sat next to him, in the middle of the pew, as Jim, Warrick, Nick, and Greg sat on either side of them. She kept looking to him, to make sure he was okay. He was staring at the oak casket that held Sara Sidle. She was so close and yet so far. Before the minister had even begun the prayer, tears were streaming down his face. Catherine reached for his hand, holding it, hoping that the contact gave her friend some strength.

By the end of the funeral, Grissom was sobbing as Catherine held him, her own tears falling for her fallen colleague. Next to her, Warrick's faced was screwed up in pain. Nick had buried his head in his hands, tears dripping between his fingers. On Gil's side, Brass was dabbing his eyes with a tissue. Greg was rocking back and forth, clutching his stomach like he was going to be physically ill, as sobs wracked his body.

The five CSIs and Brass followed the casket to the gravesite and watched as it was lowered into the ground.

Knowing that Gil was in the care of Jim and Doc Robbins, Catherine slipped out of the church and walked out to the grave of Sara Sidle. She placed a small flower arrangement next to the tombstone and knelt down, staring at the freshly dug up earth.

"He must have cared a great deal for you, Sara," she spoke to the grave, "I've never seen him like this," she continued, "I know that we've had our differences over the years, but I did get to know you, Sara. I know that you must have loved him, too. I also know that you wouldn't want him to retreat back into that shell of his. God knows how long it took either of us to gain his trust," she said smiling, then, more seriously, she continued, "So I'm going to make you a promise, Sara. I promise to do everything I can to take care of him, to help him cope, to get him through this. And I won't let you down," she vowed, "Because you deserve to know that he's alright."

_You can sleep in my arms;_

_You don't have to explain_

Catherine sat on the leather couch in Gil's townhouse, staring down at the man in her arms. She had offered to take him home after the funeral and make sure that he was settled. He had broken down, just as she was about to walk out the door, when he saw several artefacts that Sara had brought from her apartment to his home. Catherine couldn't leave him like that. They were sitting on the couch, her arms wrapped around him, comforting him. He had fallen asleep in her embrace, perhaps the only sleep he had all week.

And so she sat there, holding him as he slept, despite the fact that her limbs were numb and that she was a little thirsty. It was when she had tried to reach for the glass of water that she had brought him earlier that she had woken him. At first, he didn't seem aware of his surroundings, but soon he was sitting up, looking shell-shocked and apologetic.

"C-Catherine…I…I'm sorry, I-" he stammered, but she just shook her head and put a finger to his lips.

"It's okay, Gil," she assured him, "I understand. Take as long as you need," she said, gently rubbing his arm. He was silent for a moment, before he looked at her with pleading eyes.

"C-Can you stay?" he asked. At first, she was a little taken aback by his request, but understood that he didn't want to be alone. When he was reaching out for human contact, who was she to deny him?'

"I'll just call my mom so she can pick up Lindsey," she responded, giving him a small smile.

_When your heart's crying out, baby,_

_Whisper my name_

'_Cause I've reached out for you when _

_The thunder is crashing up above_

_You've given me your love_

Catherine stared around the darkened townhouse from the couch as she lay on her back, covered by a blue blanket. The couch was surprisingly comfy and well broken in. She suspected that it had something to do with his pre-Sara days were he would work long hours and then collapse on the nearest piece of furniture when he arrived home. She never realized how different his living room looked in the dark. The lights on his clock and appliances dimly lit the room and reflected the shadows onto the floor.

He had offered to take the couch while she took the bed, but somehow, that didn't feel right to Catherine. She had slept in his bed before, on entirely innocent circumstances, but this time, she did not want to sleep in a place where she knew he and Sara were intimate. That was still their place.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw his figure enter the living room. He seemed hesitant about his actions.

Then in a whisper, so low that she had to strain to hear it, he called, "Catherine?"

"Yes, Gil?" she answered back, "Are you okay?"

"Do you think I could sleep out here with you?" he asked, like a small child after suffering from a nightmare. She moved over on the couch and gestured for him to sit.

"Of course," she confirmed.

Gil was once again sleeping in her arms as she stared down at his sleeping form. She didn't mind laying there and offering him comfort. God knows that he had offered her the same support over the years.

She remembered the night that she had showed up on his doorstep with her then five-year-old daughter. Without a word, he had motioned her inside, where she slipped into his bedroom and tucked her sleeping daughter into his bed. At that point in her tumultuous marriage, it was not a new occurrence for her to show up at his townhouse, seeking protection and comfort. That night, however, was the night she had caught Eddie in bed with a lawyer she knew from work. Gil had held her all night as she cried herself to sleep.

_When you smile like the sun _

_That shines through the pain_

_That's why I'll be there_

Catherine woke the next morning as the sun filtered into the room. She looked to the man lying in her arms. Gil was awake, staring into space.

"Good morning," she whispered. He looked at her and sat up.

"I didn't want to wake you," he told her, looking to his hands.

"You could have," she said, sitting up on the couch as well.

"Then you probably would have hit me," he countered, a ghost of a smile formed on his lips.

"I'm not that violent!" she defended herself, gently punching his arm. He gave her a look that clearly said 'I told you so' and then he laughed with her. It was so good to see that smile again. It gave her hope that he would rise above the pain.

_When the storm rises up_

_When the shadows descend _

_Every beat of my heart_

_Every day without end_

_I will stand like a rock_

_I will bend till I break_

_Till there's no more to give_

_If that's what it takes_

In the weeks that followed, Catherine devoted her evenings to Lindsey, her nights to work, and her days to Gil. He never pushed her away, and even if he did, that wouldn't have stopped her. He seemed to enjoy having her at his townhouse, even if they didn't speak a word to each other all day. Maybe it was because of Sara, Catherine mused. Maybe she had showed him how nice it was to have someone there for him, willing to care for him. Catherine had no intention of taking Sara's place in his heart, but she realized that he needed a familiar presence in his home, otherwise he would build up the walls and never let another soul close to him.

Taking his lead, Catherine helped him clean his townhouse of the painful reminders of Sara's death, and persuaded him to keep things that helped him remember the good times. This helped him immensely.

He had not broken down since the day after the funeral. There were days where he found it hard to get out of bed, but she was firm with him, demanding that he continue to live, insisting that he would get through it. There were days that he'd argue with her and days that she would come home to Lindsey and scream about him in frustration. But he would always call her the next day and offer her breakfast or she would arrive on his doorstep and smile up at him, which he would always return.

_I will risk everything_

_I will fight_

_I will bleed _

_I will lay down my life,_

_If that's what you need_

Two weeks after the funeral, Gil came back to work. Awkward stares met him in every hallway, only adding to his torment. The only times that he felt truly comfortable with work was when he was alone, either holed up in his office or processing evidence, working with Catherine, or talking about the case with Jim or Al.

"Maybe we should give him more time off," Ecklie suggested at a small meeting in his office with Brass, Catherine, and the under sheriff a few days into Grissom's return.

"Why?" Catherine questioned, "He's doing fine. He's coping."

"Because everyone in this lab is more focused on his personal life rather than their work," Ecklie argued, "The press has already painted a picture of a tragic workplace romance. Think about what this whole thing has done to the integrity of this lab!"

"So you're giving him time off because the reputation of the lab is at stake?" Brass asked, his eyebrows rose in disbelief.

"Just until we get the lab back on track," the under sheriff answered with a shrug.

"It's for the best," Ecklie agreed. Catherine couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"You aren't giving him time off," she said, reading between the lines, "You're suspending him."

"With pay," the under sheriff added, as if that would make everything all better. Catherine scoffed at him.

"So, just because he tried to find someone to love, some comfort, you're suspending him?" she asked angrily. Ecklie sighed.

"Catherine, think about the integrity of this lab!" he demanded.

"Because there is so much integrity in kicking a man when he's down!" she scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"Catherine, that was out of line!" the under sheriff reprimanded. She shook her head, and for once, took a very Grissom-like ideal: screw politics.

"What? And this whole conversation isn't?" she shot back, "He just lost the love of his life. Work is the only thing that helps him these days, and now you're talking about laying him off!"

"One week suspension, no pay!" Ecklie barked, but that didn't stop her fight to defend her friend.

"If you're going to suspend me, Ecklie, you might as well do it for as long as you're suspending Gil," she told him in a low voice, "What would the press think of that?" she asked, knowing the risk. Ecklie could fire her right now, but she couldn't care less.

"If you suspend Grissom, suspend me too," Brass joined her in her defence of Gil.

"Be reasonable…" the under sheriff pleaded, looking from Catherine's firm features to Brass's stoic stance.

"I know a few other people who would rather be suspended than see you suspend Gil," Catherine threatened. Ecklie and the under sheriff looked panicked. They knew of the people she was referring to. There was no doubt in anyone's mind of the loyalty Warrick, Nick, Greg, and Dr. Robbins had for Grissom and the respect they had had for Sara.

_Every second I live_

_That's the promise I make_

_Baby, that's what I'll give,_

_If that's what it takes_

"So what did Ecklie want?" Gil asked, leaning against the doorframe, watching as she got her coat from her locker.

"Nothing," she shrugged, grabbing some files as well. Gil caught this.

"You never take files home. You always do your paperwork on your breaks," he observed. She had to smile at how well he knew her.

"I have some time off," she told him, smiling bitterly. Being the supervisor, he had no knowledge of this and easily put the pieces together.

"He suspended you?" he questioned.

"We got into an argument," she sighed.

"About?" he asked, curious.

"You," she answered, but she didn't sound angry. She sounded happy. In fact, she was smiling.

"Me? Why?" he questioned.

"He was going on about the integrity of the lab and how you compromised it. He was planning on suspending you," she admitted, figuring that he would find out eventually. He realized what she had done.

"You convinced him not to," he stated, as if he were seeing her in a new light, stepping up to her. She shrugged.

"I'll always have your back, Gil," she promised. She was a little surprised when he pulled her into a hug.

_Through the wind and the rain,_

_Through the smoke and the fire_

_When the fear rises up,_

_When the wave's ever higher_

In the months that followed, Gil and Catherine were inseparable. If Greg had thought that the two of them were tight seven years ago, it was nothing compared to the months following Sara's death. Catherine's suspension hadn't lasted long. As outraged as the rest of the team were about her unjust suspension, she had shrugged it off and told them to do the same.

Six months after the tragedy that had struck their team, Ecklie had hired a new CSI for the nightshift. Warrick, Nick, and Greg did not like the idea. It felt like Ecklie was trying to replace Sara. Warrick was dreading the day that he would have to take the rookie into the field, horrible flashbacks of Holly Gribbs entering his mind. Nick turned abnormally cold whenever anyone mentioned the impending arrival of the newbie. And the formally bubbly Greg, who was never the same after his partner's death, refused to even think about working with someone who was hired to replace his best friend.

When Catherine and Grissom found out that they were getting a new recruit, they talked it out. Grissom had understood that it was necessary to break in a new CSI to combat the sometimes overwhelming workload. In fact, he didn't even consider this as a replacement of Sara.

"Nobody could replace her," he had stated, causing Catherine to grin at him. It was a testament to how far he had come since the day of the funeral that he could look at the situation this way. Catherine merely followed her best friend's lead, as she had done the day they had discovered Sara's body.

Eva Craig, fresh out of the Academy, entered the break room of the Las Vegas Crime lab and was greeted by a stony silence. Greg, Nick, and Warrick were sitting at the table, staring at each other, all feeling the same. They barely acknowledged her presence. Eva was now even more nervous than she already was. Thankfully her discomfort was short-lived as Catherine and Grissom entered the room.

"You must be Eva Craig," Grissom stated, offering a hand to the young black woman, "I'm Gil Grissom and I'll be your supervisor on Grave," he explained. Eva nodded and appreciated his friendly gesture.

"Catherine Willows," Catherine introduced herself, "I'm co-supervisor. It's my job to force him to do his paperwork," she joked, shaking Eva's hand. Eva smiled.

"It's also her job to drive me crazy," Grissom returned the banter, smiling warmly at Catherine. She grinned back.

"A job that I love," she stated, then she looked to her companion, "Forms?" she asked with a self-satisfied smirk. He shook his head.

"Eva, I am going to need a pint of your blood," Grissom started with his usual request of new recruits.

"Why?" she questioned. Everyone else in the room smirked.

"So many reasons," Grissom stated mysteriously, "I'm also going to need for you to sign these wavers for death or personal injury while in the line of duty. Then we can begin our shift," he explained to his new employee.

"Right away, Mr. Grissom," Eva answered, laying the forms on the edge of the table so that she could sign them. Nick, Warrick, and Greg watched her closely. They could not understand how their bosses could accept this new face so easily.

"Well, you three are unnaturally quiet," Catherine commented, pouring herself a coffee.

"Just thinking," Warrick shrugged. Catherine raised an eyebrow.

"Eva, if these guys didn't already tell you, they are your colleagues on the grave shift. Nick Stokes, Warrick Brown, and Greg Sanders," she introduced, gesturing to each man.

"It's nice to meet each of you," Eva said as politely as possible.

"Likewise," Nick agreed, not sure if he meant it. Greg just smiled and nodded.

"Okay then," Grissom cleared his voice, "Greg and Nick, you guys are with me on a double homicide. Warrick," he started and the man in question cringed, "You're working solo on a 419 in Henderson," he said. Warrick was relieved.

"And Eva, you are with me on a breaking and entering case. Ready?" Catherine asked. Eva nodded.

"Can't wait," Eva affirmed. Catherine and Grissom had decided beforehand that none of the guys should start out with Eva, at least not until they were used to her.

The guys cleared out of the room, followed by Grissom, Catherine, and Eva.

"Be careful, Cath," Grissom whispered to her. She smiled at him.

"Always am," she shrugged. Even so, as she walked away, this night seemed different and eerily familiar to Grissom.

He felt the same twinge of unease as Greg drove him and Nick to the scene and while he was processing evidence, he couldn't shake that fear that something was amiss.

Catherine and Eva entered the dilapidated house in one of the rougher neighbourhoods of Las Vegas. Officer Rowle had just cleared the scene. Catherine had Eva start by dusting for prints.

"The rest of the team…they don't like me, do they?" Eva questioned once the silence between the two women became too prolonged. Catherine shook her head.

"They just don't know you yet. They will come around sooner or later," Catherine assured her. Even so, Eva still looked unsure.

"I don't know if that's it," she admitted. Catherine stopped processing and turned to look at the younger woman.

"You'll find this out one way or another, so it might as well be now," Catherine started, "Six months ago, we lost a member of our team, Sara Sidle, when she was kidnapped and crushed by a car. It affected us all. Warrick, Nick, and Greg had come to regard her as a sister. I guess they feel that six months is too early to introduce a new face. Maybe they even feel like Ecklie wanted to replace Sara when he hired you, I don't know."

"But I don't want to replace her!" Eva said, aghast.

"I know," Catherine said gently, "And more importantly, so does Grissom. And despite their misgivings about this change, the guys trust and respect Grissom implicitly," she continued, adding, "They will come around. I promise you, they will. Despite their behaviour earlier, they are really great guys."

"I…I hope that you're right," Eva said, offering a smile.

"So do I," Catherine agreed, returning to her evidence. Silence fell between them once more.

CRASH!

Catherine's hand jumped to her gun holster as the noise echoed through the house, but before she even touched the butt of the gun, there was a flash of light and a BANG!

It was an explosion. Catherine and Eva were thrown backwards as a thick smoke filled the room. Through the fog, Catherine saw someone run the length of the house and out of sight.

"Suspect on location!" Catherine yelled, "EVA!" she called, unable to see her colleague. Then she saw a twinge of orange out of the corner of her eye and felt heat surrounded her. _Fire!_ she thought, panicking. She got on all fours, crawling around the room searching for Eva or an exit.

"Catherine!" a tiny voice squeaked. Catherine followed it and grasped Eva's hand.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"Yeah! What happened?" Eva croaked.

"We have to get out of-" Catherine's voice was drowned out by another crash. The ceiling was caving in around them. They only just managed to avoid the falling debris, clutching onto each other, desperate to live.

"Call the fire department!" Catherine heard someone-maybe Sofia Curtis-scream from the outside. _And please God, hurry!_ Catherine prayed.

"_Jim!_" Sofia's voice called through the walkie-talkies, sounding panicked and afraid, and catching not just Brass's attention.

"What's the matter, Sofia?" Brass questioned.

"_Fire!_" she screamed through the connection, "_Catherine and Eva-_"

"WHAT?" Grissom bellowed, drowning her voice out.

"Where are they? Are they alright?" Brass questioned frantically, but no one heard the answer. Grissom had abandoned his kit and was running to the Denali with Nick and Greg on his heels. This can't be happening, Grissom repeated in his head as he wrenched the driver's door open, not again! Before Brass could stop them, Grissom was driving the three of them towards Catherine's crime scene, turning on the siren and driving like a madman. In all of the confusion, Nick managed to tell Warrick what was happening, and he too, abandoned his crime scene for Catherine's.

They arrived at the burning house in record time, parked on top of the sidewalk. Grissom ran up in the direction of the house, screaming, "Where is she?" but he was seized around by the shoulders by two uniformed officers.

"What are you doing?" Greg protested near him. Grissom realized that Greg and Nick must have been stopped like he was.

"We have to get in there!" Nick shouted, struggling against the hold of his officers. Grissom barely heard him, more focused on the firemen entering the house. They had to find Catherine. If they didn't…if he lost her like he had lost Sara, he did not know what he would do.

After what seemed like and eternity, a fireman emerged carrying Eva Craig. She was moving. Grissom's heart leapt. That had to mean that Catherine would be out soon. He barely noticed the scuffle behind him as Warrick and Brass arrived on the scene at the same time. Brass and two other uniforms were holding Warrick back.

Fear seized Grissom as a loud crash echoed through the night and as the roof collapsed.

"NOOOO!" four voiced screamed into the night at the exact same time. All four struggled harder. Grissom had to get in there. He had to get to her.

Then another fireman emerged, carrying a limp body through the doorway. Grissom knew right away that it was Catherine. She wasn't moving.

"CATHERINE!" his voice came out choked, raspy, and desperate as he fought against the arms holding him back. The firefighter was giving her CPR. Grissom made a fist and turned and hit one of the officers with an uppercut. The other officer, rooted by shock was elbowed in the eye, releasing his hold on Grissom to cry in agony.

"CATHERINE!" he cried again, sprinting across the yard. The fear that she would never speak to him, smile at him, touch him again pounded in his mind as he ran, finally collapsing at her side where the fireman was still working on her.

"Catherine, please no!" he pleaded, placing his shaking hand in her still one. There were hot tears spilling down his cheeks. He couldn't lose her. He felt someone's hand on his shoulder, trying to pull him away, but he wouldn't budge.

"G-Gil?" a small, weak voice questioned from the ground. He threw off whoever was behind him and turned to look at her. Soot had blackened her pale complexion, yet she was still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Her eyelids were opened halfway, revealing her clear blue eyes, glistening with wetness.

"It's okay, Catherine," he whispered to her, gently wiping the soot away from her eyes, "I'm here."

"So am I," she whispered back, reaching up to wipe his own tears, while he wiped hers.

_I will lay down my heart, my body, my soul_

_I will hold on all night_

_And never let go_

Grissom's hands were shaking as he sat in the chair outside Catherine's room. He should be in there with her. The rest of his team was assembled beside him, Brass and Eva included, along with Lindsey and Lily, as they waited for the doctor to come out. Gil had protested when he was told to wait outside while the doctors examined her.

Finally the door opened and everyone stood up. With a nod from the doctor, everyone cheered. Grissom rushed into the room, beating Lindsey and Lily to Catherine's bedside. She smiled weakly, invitingly, at him as he walk right up to her, leaned in, and caught her lips in a gentle, passionate kiss. Her hands rested on his shoulders as she kissed him back, while his hands cupped the sides of her face, holding her to him as if she was about to leave him.

Someone whistled behind them and they broke away from their kiss, but still inches apart, staring into each other's eyes.

"I love you," he whispered, gently caressing the side of her face.

"I love you, too," she responded as tears filled her eyes.

"If I ever lost you…" he trailed off.

"You'll never lose me. I'll always be by your side," she told him, her hands on his neck, her thumbs caressing his chin, "Stay with me?" she requested, leaning her forehead on his.

"I'll always be by your side," he echoed her. She kissed him again, then she hugged him close, staring over his shoulder at the group of people that they had likened to family over all these years. Their own watery smiles etched on their faces as they all moved forwards as one towards them. For a second there, Catherine was sure she had seen Sara Sidle's smiling face among them, but just as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone.

_Every second I live_

_That's the promise I make_

_Baby, that's what I'll give,_

_If that's what it takes_

"Do you, Gilbert Frederick Grissom, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, and in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," he stated with so much certainty and conviction that it brought tears to his bride's eyes.

"Do you, Catherine Elizabeth Willows, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold in good times and bad, for richer or poorer, and in sickness and in health, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," she stated, flashing her husband a radiant grin.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride," the minister nodded to Gil, who smiled widely, lifted the veil, and caught her lips in a passionate, beautiful kiss. Applause rang in their ears as everyone in the church and those standing up at the alter beside them started clapping and whistling.

"I knew they were tight!" Greg could be heard shouting over the applause. Bride and groom laughed as they walked arm-in-arm down the aisle.

"Maybe Dad was finally right about something," Lindsey Willows mused as she recalled her father's unjust accusations that her mother and Gil had had a "thing". They had always had a sort of relationship thing.

Jackpot's Alan Brooks shook his head and said, "The bugger told me they were married four years ago!" Catherine looked at her husband, who shrugged sheepishly.

"Guess that's always been a fantasy of mine," he admitted weakly. She shook her head.

"I guess that's better than fantasizing about some other things," she told him, smiling. He grinned too.

"Good thing I'm not a six foot weasel," he quipped. Her laughter rang outside as they walked, surprised that he even remembered that conversation.

The procession went on as Horatio Caine, who had flown up from Miami to attend his friend's wedding, Sheriff Rory Atwater, Mia Dickerson, and Lady Heather Kessler, who hugged Gil and wished Catherine the best of luck with him, congratulated them. Others from the lab came to see them.

When it seemed like no one would notice his absence, Gil snuck around to behind the church to stand in front of Sara Sidle's grave. He knelt down and stared at the tombstone bearing her name. In the past year and a half, he had only visited her grave a handful of times. It had been too painful for him. Catherine had had to get after him to come out here, saying that it would help.

"I want to thank you, Sara," he spoke without realising it, "for everything you gave me. You opened me up to everyone else and…and it was because of you that I let Catherine help me move on. So…thank you, Sara," he said, biting his lower lip and rising to his feet, "I miss you," he admitted, staring down at the grey stone. He stood in silence for a moment. He would always remember Sara, and how she had done whatever it took to get him to where he was today.

"Hey," a gentle, loving voice called to him, "I thought I might find you out here."

"Yeah," he nodded, "Just thinking," he said as she walked up to his side.

"Me too," Catherine smiled, and then knelt to the ground, like her husband had done, and placed a bouquet of flowers, similar to those of her bridesmaids, on the ground next to the other flower arrangements on Sara's grave. She then placed a carnation around the small, metal vase-like flower holder that was holding three red roses. A card attached to the ribbon read:

_To Sara Sidle, with love._

_Greg, Warrick, and Nick_

Catherine straightened next to Gil and smiled. She knew that whenever the roses died, all three men would return to the gravesite and replace each rose with a new one.

"I love you," Gil said, kissing his wife's temple.

"I love you, too," she responded, resting her head on his shoulder. They stood in silence, staring at the clear blue sky.

"Hey!" and exuberant voice called out, interrupting their thoughts, "The limo's here!" they turned to see Greg, Nick, Warrick, Brass, Robbins, and Lindsey assembled near the gate. Gil looked at Catherine and smiled.

"Ready to go spend the rest of our lives together?" he asked her.

"Ready when you are," she told him, giving him a glowing smile.

_If that's what it takes_

_Every day_

_If that's what it takes_

_Every day_

He took her hand and together, they walked towards their friends…family, ready to start their life together. He was looking forward to waking each morning to see her beautiful face, to teasing her when her cooking didn't always pan out, to helping to raise Lindsey and maybe, if the heavens would allow it, a sibling for Lindsey. Most of all, he was looking forward to loving Catherine for the rest of his life, doing whatever it takes to make her happy.

And Catherine was just as content as ever, doing anything and everything she could to keep her promise to Sara.

No matter what it took, Catherine would always love and care for Gil, just as she had promised.

The End

Reviews would be nice. To cheer me up, in the least.


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